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Kenmare police working to educate on ATV laws and to get dogs licensed

Officers with the Kenmare Police Department are doing their best to educate new residents in town about the local laws regarding the use of ATVs. “I’ve stopped a lot of people already,” said Chief Gary Kraft.

5/30/12 (Wed)

By Caroline Downs

Officers with the Kenmare Police Department are doing their best to educate new residents in town about the local laws regarding the use of ATVs. “I’ve stopped a lot of people already,” said Chief Gary Kraft.

Off-highway vehicles, including ATVs and racing quads, cannot legally be driven on Kenmare’s city streets, Kraft explained. “They have to be taken on a trailer outside the city limits,” he said. “Then, they can be driven.

In addition, any OHV must be registered and the owner must have proof of liability insurance. “And they have to have a North Dakota operators license or a North Dakota OHV permit to drive it,” Kraft said.

He noted the city council has allowed some local residents to use their ATVs in town, with an attached trailer or mounted blade, for tasks such as yardwork and snow removal. However, those uses are exceptions to the city ordinance.

“ATVs are for recreational riding, not on the city streets,” he said. “When we meet new residents, we talk to them and they’re advised of the situation and the laws.”

He paused and smiled. “Otherwise, we get complaints about them right away,” he said.

Dogs must belicensed by June 1stAnother source of citizen complaints in Kenmare has been unlicensed dogs, but the police department is working to communicate those laws to residents, too.

“Right now, we have officers in the department going door-to-door to verify the number of dogs at the residence and which ones have tags,” said Kraft.

The city of Kenmare requires all dogs to be licensed by June 1st each year. Licenses and dog tags can be obtained for a cost of $5 at the city auditor’s office during business hours Monday through Friday.

“We’re giving dog owners this month to do that,” Kraft said. “After June 1st, there is a $50 fine per dog that is not licensed.”

According to Kraft, the door-to-door campaign with dog owners has been successful so far. “Right now, the number of dog licenses has doubled from last year,” he said.

Later curfewfor the summerWith school out of session for the summer, Chief Kraft said curfew hours would be extended for all children and teenagers, as long as that privilege is not abused.

During the school year, curfew is set at 9:30 pm for children ages 12 and under, and 11 pm for youth ages 13 to 17.

“The curfew for the summer will be 12 midnight for everyone,” said Kraft. “That will be true for everyone until school starts. Of course, we will change it back to the earlier hours if problems arise.”